


Courting Chloe

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Carry On, Wayward Son [5]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Non-Graphic Violence, Strong Language, This has turned into a Grand Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-25
Updated: 2016-08-05
Packaged: 2018-07-26 16:17:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 18,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7581190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucifer tries to figure out the best way to date Chloe; meanwhile Camael decides he wants the detective for himself.</p><p>Sequel to "Family Ties" - takes place about a week later.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to all of you wonderful readers out there who have been keeping up with this Lucifer and Chloe -- especially to you lovely readers who took the time to comment after each chapter. There are too many of you to gift this to individually, so please consider it gifted to you even though it's not on the summary. Your comments inspire me to keep writing about this pair! So thank you, thank you, thank you! This is also dedicated to those of you who wanted a little more fluff. Fluff and romance, light on angst, with a little action sprinkled on top -- coming up! Installment 6 will return you to your regularly scheduled angstfest. Thank you so much for reading, you are all AWESOME!!!
> 
> And a SUPER-HUGE THANK YOU to my most excellent beta, ScooterThyme, who squeezed in the time to get this done for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You're awesome!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker, Trixie Decker, Mazikeen, Amenadiel, and Dan Espinoza are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice. (Lucifer's angelic brethren are my creation.)

 

 

Camael stood in the middle of the desert, staring up at the stars in the sky.   Deciding to follow in the footsteps of his fallen brother, he had abandoned Heaven to make his life on Earth.  He didn’t care for it, though.  The air was dirty and the world was colorless.  He couldn’t understand how Lucifer could stand being here.

And yet, there was something to be said about the humans who resided on this filthy plane.  Their minds were so weak -- it was easy to sway them into doing what he wanted.  That filled Camael with a sense of power.  He wondered if his father felt the same way, when ordering his angels about.  Probably.  Power was like a drug -- addicting.  He wanted more of it.

The thought of humans led to Camael thinking about the woman that was with his brother.  Although he didn’t fully understand it, the Angel of Wrath could see why Lucifer was so bonded with her.  She was pretty, and strong as well.  After all, no angel ever had the balls to punch Father in the face -- not even Lucifer had gone that far.  There was something about her that was special -- he could feel it.  It intrigued him.   _ She _ intrigued him.

He thought about the first time he had run into her....  The accident.  Father had ordered the woman be injured, and Camael had enjoyed the task.  A quick glance through the window after the terrible wreck showed him a beautiful woman with blonde hair.  He hadn’t realized it at the time what a find she was.  If only he had known before -- he would have abandoned the accident idea and stolen her for himself.

He remembered standing by the car, talking to his injured brother -- which right there was odd.  Lucifer was an angel.  He shouldn’t have been injured at all... and yet he was.  It puzzled Camael and he thought long and hard about it.  When he and Michael had almost killed Lucifer, he hadn’t shown too much injury except for when he was stabbed with a Heaven-forged knife.  Well, gutted like a fish really, thought Camael with a smile.  Nor had he shown an excessive amount of injury during the Affair of Honor with Michael.  So... why was he injured in the car accident?  Did it have something to do with the human woman?

Camael decided that he needed to visit his brother and test whether Lucifer could be killed.  Lucifer was the strongest angel ever created by Father, next to Michael -- there was no way Camael would be able to beat him in a fair fight.  Then again, if he was mortal around the woman.... Well, that would change everything.  He could steal the fallen angel’s woman and make her his.  He would be proud to have such a strong woman stand next to him, even if she was a human.  

He smiled.  Once he got rid of Lucifer, he could easily take over these stupid humans -- establish himself as a god here.  The human woman would be his queen and they could rule the realm of Earth together....


	2. Courtship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! Thank you for all your hard work -- you make my story shine!

 

 

Sitting in his armchair, Lucifer stared at the Scotch in his glass and wondered just what the hell he was doing.  

He had promised Chloe a dinner -- and not just any dinner, but a grand, romantic dinner.  Camael had ruined his last attempt though, damn him, and now Lucifer was somewhat reluctant to repeat the experience.  A grand, romantic date -- not necessarily dinner -- was better in order, which the detective had kindly agreed to.  But what could he do?  He had filled her house with flowers in the past, but... well, he had never seen the end result of that gesture, thanks to Michael’s interference.  Stupid, bloody, sodding angels!  Ruining his life!  So now what could he do to impress Chloe?  He racked his brains but came up with a big fat zero.

Ugh, he just didn’t know how humans dated.  Really!  It was all so nerve-wracking -- Chloe loved him, and he loved her, but he still felt horribly insecure.  His confidence was never an issue, except with her.  Would Chloe say yes to going out?  Or would she say no?  Would she like whatever he did for her?  Or would she be displeased?  And did she have any sexual feelings toward him at all?  It was all a mystery to him.  Never having had to deal with these problems in the past, the insecurities drove him mad.  Despite all of that, though, he still had this horrible urge to do something for her.  He just didn’t know what.

In the past when he was carefree and couldn’t care less about humans, women and men fell all over him and he took whatever they offered gladly.  There was no question about whether they found him attractive -- of course they did, he was the Devil.  He wined and dined them, and then slept with them.  Done.  All good.  

But Chloe wasn’t like that -- she was... she was....  Oh bloody hell, he was going to end up waxing lyrical about her again.  That had to stop.  Giving himself a hard shake, he tried to concentrate.  He still couldn’t believe that she was a goddess, reborn over a hundred times while waiting for him to come to Earth to be with her -- and she hadn’t even known him!  How could anything he did ever compare to that?  How could he even begin to show her how much he loved her when he had _that_ hanging over his head?

She was a goddess.  A _goddess_.  And he was just an angel.  If anyone had told him a week ago that he would be saying he was “just an angel,” he would have laughed contemptuously, but now....  She was to him as he was to humans -- a step above. Was he even worthy of her?  No wonder his brain was rife with insecurity....  How could he possibly express to her what she meant to him?  

Lucifer downed his Scotch in one swallow and sighed.  The only way he knew how to show her how much he loved her was to sleep with her, and she seemed to be oddly resistant to that.  He wasn’t sure why -- he’d have to ask her.  

As luck would have it, the elevator to his flat opened just then, and Chloe walked into his apartment.  He stood up, his mouth going dry at the sight of her.  She wasn’t even wearing anything special -- boots, leggings, a tunic, and her jacket -- but she looked amazing to him.  He greeted her with an easy smile that hid all of the insecurities running rampant in his brain.

“Hello, Detective!  Have you come to join me in a round of sexarades?”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe just chuckled and walked straight into his arms.  “Shut up and hug me,” she said.

That made Lucifer smile.  “Rough day?”

“You have no idea.  Mountains of paperwork.  Mountains and mountains.  I feel like I’m drowning.”  She shut her eyes as she held him tightly.

He chuckled.  “Well, I’m glad that I stayed away, then.”

“You could help, you know,” she said, only half-teasing.

“Oh no, my dear.  It wouldn’t be right for me to distract you from your mountains of paper.”

Chloe punched him playfully in the arm.  “You’re such an ass.”

“Thank you,” he said, grinning.  “Right.  I’m far better at relieving stress than helping with boring paperwork,” Lucifer whispered seductively as he started nuzzling her neck.  “Let me show you....”

Laughing, Chloe pulled back and sat down on his couch with a sigh.  She looked tired, Lucifer noted.  Maybe she needed a little sex as a pick-me-up?  It always worked for him....  Sitting down next to her, he pulled her into his arms and started nibbling on her ear.  Chloe laughed softly before turning away.  Frowning, Lucifer straightened and let her go.

“Detective, may I ask you something?”

Chloe looked up at his serious tone.  “Of course.”

“Will we ever have sex?”

Her eyebrows went up at that.  “Are you serious?”

“Yes.”

Chloe stared at Lucifer’s solemn face and sighed.  “Of course we’ll have sex.  I’m sorry.  You must think I’m being an awful tease.  I’m not.  It’s just... It’s just that I want our first time to be special.”

Lucifer blinked.  “Of course it will be special.  You’ll be having sex with the Devil.”

He said it so matter-of-factly that it made her laugh.  “Oh Lucifer, you are so good for me.”  Chloe caressed his stubble-lined cheek; he leaned into her soft hand. “It’s just that this is all very new....”  She closed her eyes.  “Plus there’s....”

He straightened.  “What?”

Sighing heavily, Chloe leaned back against the couch’s backrest.  “I want to make sure we’re not rushing into anything.”

“Rushing...?”

Sliding him a glance, she said, “I don’t want us to just hop into bed for no reason.”

Grinning devilishly, Lucifer shifted so that he was sitting facing her.  “Believe me, Detective, there is always a very good reason to hop into bed -- to have sex.   _Lots_ of sex.  Mind-numbing, heart-pounding sex --”

“Oh Lucifer,” Chloe chuckled with a shake of her head, but it had a sad sound.  Growing serious, she said, “Look, I’m sorry.  It’s not you.  It’s just that....  Well, when I first started dating Dan --”

Lucifer rolled his eyes.  “Not the douche....”

“Dan,” Chloe emphasized.  “We just kind of... hooked up.  We never really dated, we just fell into being a couple.  Eventually we ended up in bed together because it seemed like the natural progression of things.  Before we knew it, we were married and I had Trixie.  And then he.... It was....  It wasn’t good.  I don’t want us to be like that.  Lucifer, I don’t want our first time together to be like an afterthought.”

“Trust me, my dear, it will never be like an afterthought,” he interjected smugly.

She waved him off.  “No, I know that, just... hear me out.  I love you, and I want our first time to be really special together.  Do you understand what I’m saying?  I just don’t want us to sleep together for the sake of sleeping together.  You’ve already had so many women --”

Panic filled Lucifer.  Was she rejecting him because of his past?  “They meant nothing,” he interrupted quickly.

“Maybe so, but you’ve had them,” Chloe said.  “I just don’t want you to... to....”  She broke off, looking down at her lap.

Lucifer’s eyebrows furrowed.  “Don’t want me to what?”

For a long moment she was silent.  Finally she said so quietly that he almost didn’t hear, “Get bored.”

Putting two and two together, Lucifer’s expression grew incredulous.  “That sodding douche -- he got bored?!”

She nodded.  “That’s when our marriage started falling apart.  Everything started to go downhill.  I don’t even know why --”

Reaching for her, Lucifer pulled Chloe close and kissed her then -- a gentle kiss not meant to arouse, but to comfort.  “Detective Douche is a bloody idiot to the tenth degree, my dear.  You have nothing to worry about with me.”

“I know that, Lucifer, I really do.  I just want this -- us -- to be special.”

“We _are_ special, Detective,” he whispered.  “You waited three thousand years to be with me --”

“But I don’t remember that!” Chloe cried.  “I wish I did, but I don’t.  And I’m not even sure if we just didn’t dream that all up!”

“I believe it, even if you don’t,” Lucifer said firmly.  “And I am not your sodding ex.  I am never going to let you go.”

Chloe hugged him then.  The fallen angel held her tightly, all the while cursing the idiot douche for making Chloe feel bad about herself.  Of course if the sodding fool hadn’t done that, then she and the douche might still be together, and he might have missed out on the love of his life.  But still....  

He had to make this right.  He wasn’t sure exactly how, so he shocked himself when he heard himself say: “Right.  I’m going to court you.”

Chloe blinked at him.  “What?”

Swallowing hard, Lucifer repeated, “I’m going to bloody court you.”  Pulling back, he gazed intensely into her eyes.  “I am going to show you how bloody important you are to me, and that I will never get bored with you.  We are not going to bloody ‘hook up,’ we are going to bloody date.  And I'll stop pestering you about having sex until you're bloody ready.”

Chloe stared at him, then pulled his head down and kissed him with such passion and ardor that for a few seconds Lucifer completely forgot what he was saying.  His desire burned bright like a beacon and his body yearned to get closer to her.

Chloe pulled back all too soon, her eyes bright with tears.  “You beautiful man.... You beautiful, beautiful angel,” she said, and laughingly added, “You have to stop saying ‘bloody.’”

“Like bloody hell I will,” he muttered, wondering what had just gotten into him.  Had he just promised not to pester her about having sex?!  What was he thinking?!

But it didn’t really matter, did it?  She was what was important, and if he could make her feel better about their relationship, then he’d do whatever it took to make it right.  He just wished he didn’t have to pay for the douche’s mistakes.

And oh no, now there was even _more_ pressure to do the dating thing right.  He wanted to bash his head against the wall.  What had he gotten himself into?!  Tightening his grip a bit on Chloe, he rolled his eyes to the heavens.  He was certainly glad she couldn’t see his face right now, or else she’d see the horrible panic in his eyes.  Maybe Maze could help him think of something grand.  He’d ask her tomorrow morning....


	3. Lunch and Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very big thank you to my most excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You totally ROCK!

 

 

“I say throw her to the ground and have hot, passionate sex with her.”

Lucifer pinched the bridge of his nose together with his thumb and forefinger at Maze’s suggestion.  Perhaps asking a demon for help with dating wasn’t the best way to get romantic advice.  He sighed heavily as he threw himself down into his armchair.  Amenadiel and Maze took a seat across from him on the couch.

“Maybe buy her some flowers, Brother, and take her to a nice restaurant,” Amenadiel added after giving a warning glance to his demon girlfriend.  “You know, ply her with good food and wine....”

“Yeah, get her roaring drunk, then throw her to the ground and have sex with her,” added Maze.

“Bloody hell,” muttered Lucifer sotto voce as he rubbed his forehead.  This was getting worse and worse.

“Maze, you can’t just throw people to the ground and have sex with them,” Amenadiel admonished.

“Why not?  We do it all the time.”

“Yes, but--”

The demon got that sexy look in her eye.  “Come to think of it, _we_ haven’t had sex for a few hours.”  Grabbing her boyfriend by the front of his shirt, she hauled him to his feet and practically dragged him to the lift.  “And we haven’t done it in the elevator for a while.”

“But --”

“Shut up and _dance,_ ” purred Maze seductively as the elevator doors closed behind the couple.

Well _that_ had been a complete waste of time, Lucifer thought as he got up and ambled to the bar.  What a bad idea it was to ask them for advice!  He’d just have to figure this out by himself.  Pouring himself a very large glass of Scotch, he tried to think of his options.

Dinner and a movie?

Flowers and chocolates?

Jewelry?

Serenade her outside her window?

Serenade her outside her window, naked?

Obviously he hadn’t seen enough romantic comedy movies to get any good ideas.  He downed the Scotch and poured himself another.  Ahhh, if only he could get drunk.  Then he could carry out all of his ideas while intoxicated and not remember making a fool of himself.  Nor would he remember if she liked his ideas or not.

Checking his watch, he realized that the lunch hour was coming up.  He could meet Chloe at the station and bring her a nice lunch.  The thought of surprising her brought a smile to his lips.  Perhaps she would be pleased; he certainly hoped so.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Flowers seemed like a good accompaniment to food, so Lucifer decided to stop by his local florist -- they always did excellent work.  Unfortunately they had very little parking, so Lucifer parked the Corvette a few blocks away and hoofed it to the store.  He asked for three dozen red roses, which the shopkeeper lovingly arranged with sprays of baby’s breath and green fern leaves.  It was a huge bouquet, and Lucifer was quite pleased.

Humming happily, he crossed the street on the green light.  He didn’t notice the car speeding toward him without any hint of slowing down -- if anything, it accelerated.  One moment he was walking, the next moment he was airborne.  The breath went out of him with a whoosh as he flew through the air, then hit the pavement hard.  There was the sound of screeching as other cars swerved to avoid his prone body.  Another car ran over him.  Lucifer felt the weight press down on him as the tire rolled across his chest.  For a moment, he lay there, stunned.

People were screaming, and he could see a crowd gather around him, muttering in shock and horror.  He blinked.  What had just happened?  It was hard to put a coherent thought in his head.  He felt all right, just... just a little worse for wear.  Lucifer pulled himself to a sitting position.  The crowd gasped.  Someone asked if he was all right.

“I’m fine,” he responded with a little laugh.  “No need to concern yourselves.”

The driver of the car rushed up to him -- a small Hispanic man with a mustache.  “Oh my god, I am so sorry, sir!  I tried to slow down for the light, but then my car suddenly accelerated --”

Lucifer looked up at him sharply.  That sounded suspiciously like Camael’s doing.  But why?  “It’s quite all right,” he said soothingly.  “No harm done.”

He looked around but saw no sign of the Angel of Wrath.  Was he mistaken?  Was this just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time?  It felt suspicious, but perhaps he was just getting paranoid.  Shrugging, he decided not to worry about it.

The crowd of people backed away from him, all murmuring in awe, as he got to his feet.  Dusting himself off, the fallen angel frowned at the tire tread mark across his chest.   Bloody hell!  How could he go see Chloe like this?  He tried to rub the black mark from his shirt and jacket, but it was useless.  Another suit ruined....

Scanning the area, Lucifer saw the bouquet of roses lying some feet away.  Walking over, he picked them up and inspected them.  They looked quite bad; half the roses had lost their flowers and the bouquet was hopelessly smashed into an odd shape.  He sighed.  So much for the flowers.  

The spectators were telling him to wait for the ambulance, but he waved them off.  A quick check of his watch told him that he had to hurry if he was to catch Chloe before she went to lunch.  Making his way to his car, he threw the ruined bouquet in the passenger seat and hopped in with one easy movement.

Camael, dressed as a civilian and hidden in the crowd of spectators, watched Lucifer drive off with interest.  Well, apparently his brother was still immortal when alone... which probably meant he was mortal only around the human woman.  If his last test proved his theory, he could put his plan into action and have the woman for himself.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“My god, Lucifer -- what happened to you?!”

Chloe stared at the dusty figure sitting in his two-seater, with a tire tread mark across his white shirt.  Calling to tell her he brought lunch for her, Lucifer had asked that she meet him in the parking lot.  At the time it really puzzled her, for he never had a problem coming into the station before -- in fact, she thought he rather liked making waves as he walked through the halls.  Now she understood as she regarded his appearance.

“Please keep Dad out of this,” the tall man said with a groan, then laughed self-consciously.  “I had a little run-in with a bloody car or two.”  He gave her a blinding smile as he held up a large paper bag.  “But I brought you lunch.”

Chloe was dumbfounded.  “Lucifer, what -- how ---”

“It’s from the Mexican restaurant that you like,” he said.  His expression became sad as he looked at the ruined bouquet sitting next to him.  “The flowers didn’t quite make the trip, I’m afraid.”  He gave her an embarrassed look.  “It appears that all my bloody gestures of grand romance end up as dismal failures.”

Whipping open the door, she yanked him out of the car and hugged him so tightly that Lucifer thought she had suddenly developed angelic strength.  The embrace caught him off-guard; it seemed strange that she wanted sex now in a parking lot, but then he realized she was shaking.  Her response surprised him and warmed his heart.  No one had ever cared if he lived or died until this beautiful, gentle woman had come along -- her and her lovely child.  Having been despised by his siblings for so long, it was still mind-boggling to the fallen angel that Chloe gave a damn.

“It’s all right, Detective,” he said tenderly as he pressed his cheek to her hair.  “I’m fine.”  He held her close with his free hand as he put the bag of food on the hood of the car.

Chloe looked up at him, her eyes full of worry.  “Tell me everything -- from the beginning.”

“Well, in the beginning, God created Heaven and Earth --”

In no mood for jokes, she glared at him like a gorgon.  “You know what I mean, you ass!”

“Right,” Lucifer said, looking appropriately chastised while hiding a smile.  “Very well.  I was hit by a car in a crosswalk when I went to buy your flowers.  Another car rolled over me after I landed on the pavement.”

Chloe went as pale as a sheet.  For a moment she looked like she was going to pass out; Lucifer gripped her tightly to keep her from falling.  “Are you quite all right?” he asked, worried.

“You... you got hit by two cars?” she whispered.

“Well, technically hit by one and run over by the other, but yes.  But you needn’t worry, my dear,” he said reassuringly.  “Immortal, remember?”

Leaning her head against his chest, she sagged against him.  “Thank god you’re okay....”  

For once, Lucifer decided not to make a rude remark about the reference to his father.  After all, Dad had made him immortal, for better or worse.  At least, immortal except for when he was with Chloe, but he wasn’t going to worry about that now.  

A fearful look came into the detective’s eyes as she glanced up at him.  “Was this your father’s doing?”

Lucifer shook his head.  “I don’t think so.  It could just have been an accident.  Don’t worry.”  Gathering her up in his arms, he brushed his lips against hers, deepening the kiss when she responded.  

They broke apart at the same time, both on fire and trying to catch their breaths.  “Your lunch is getting cold,” Lucifer said.

“Uh huh,” Chloe said as she leaned in for another kiss; Lucifer happily obliged her.

Finally she pulled away, leaving the fallen angel feeling bereft without her in his arms.  Chloe smiled a little unsteadily at him.  “I better eat my lunch,” she said.

“Yes.”

They stood there for a moment, just staring at each other with stupid smiles on their faces.

“You better change your suit.”

“Yes.”

“We’ll expect you for dinner tonight, then?” Chloe asked as she picked up the bag of food.  “Trixie would love to see you.”

“Splendid.”  Lucifer said as his smile turned into a blinding grin.

Chloe felt weak in the knees from the power of his beaming expression.  She had to get out of there before she did something stupid.  “Okay.  Tonight then.”

“Tonight.”

She started to walk away, then turned right back around again.  Lucifer’s eyebrows went up.  “Did you forget something, love?”

“My flowers.  I want my flowers,” she said.

Lucifer was appalled.  “But -- but they’re ruined!”

Shaking her head, Chloe said, “No, they aren’t.  I want them.”

Shaking his head with incredulity, Lucifer handed her the bouquet.  When Chloe looked up at him, her eyes were shining.  “Thank you, Lucifer.  This is one of the most romantic things anyone’s ever done for me in a long time.”

The fallen angel felt a sudden swell of pride and happiness.  “You’re welcome, Detective.”

Feeling inordinately pleased, he watched her walk back into the station before getting into his car and driving to LUX.


	4. Dinner and a Movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big, big thank you to my superb beta, ScooterThyme! You are awesome and you make my work shine -- thank you!!

 

 

Lucifer thought hard before he went to Chloe’s house that evening.  He wanted to do something nice for the detective, but he hadn’t yet figured out what.  Lunch had been a surprising success, and he wanted dinner to be equally noteworthy.  It would have to be something that included the little spawn....  He didn’t want Beatrice to feel left out.  

Whenever he went to Chloe’s house in the evening, they usually ate in, then watched a movie with the child.  Although Beatrice liked action movies, her mother frowned upon them, so no superhero movies.  He wondered about the latest Disney or Pixar animated feature.  That should be all right, shouldn’t it?  One was just opening that day, which would be perfect.  An idea was forming in his head and he started getting excited about it.

After making a few phone calls, he headed over to Chloe’s house.  He arrived just as the sun was going down -- the days were getting shorter and standard time would soon kick in.  Should he knock or just enter?  Deciding to be polite, he rang the doorbell.

Trixie answered, her face filled with anxiety as she let him in.  It immediately put Lucifer on alert.

“What’s wrong, child?” he asked.

“Daddy’s here,” she said softly.  “They’re arguing.”

Lucifer’s face darkened as he thought of Detective Douche.  The man was a constant thorn in his side!  Very quietly, he said to Trixie, “Go to your room, child.  I’ll come and get you when everything’s resolved.”

After the young girl ran off and shut the bedroom door behind her, Lucifer straightened and made his way to the kitchen.  He could hear the loud exchange between Dan and Chloe.

“...then you strung me on for a month!”

“I’m sorry, Dan.  That was a... weird time for Trixie and me.”

“I can’t understand why you keep going back to him!  I thought you had given him up --”

“There was a misunderstanding, Dan, but we cleared it up.  Lucifer and I are back together.”

“Why?!  What’s he got that I don’t?!”

“Class, for one thing,” Lucifer said as he walked into the room.  Dan looked shocked at his appearance, while Chloe looked relieved.  “And good sense, which is something you obviously lack.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” growled Dan, taking a threatening step toward the tall man.

“I was invited,” responded the fallen angel calmly.  “Were you?”

Shooting an angry look at Chloe, Dan snarled, “How can you want to be with this... womanizer?  He’ll just leave you for another woman.  It’s only a matter of time.”

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed threateningly.  “On the contrary, Detective Douche, there will never be another woman for me.”

While glaring at the fallen angel, the other man directed his comments toward Chloe.  “Look, Trixie is my daughter.  We should at least try to start over, for her sake....”

Chloe shook her head.  “No, Dan.  I’m sorry, but we’re done.”

Dan turned to her then, his eyes suddenly panicked.  “Don’t say that, Chloe.  We can work things out --”

“No, we can’t.  You only want me back because Lucifer is interested in me.”

“That’s not true --”

“Yes,” she said firmly.  “It is.”

A stubborn look came into the man’s eyes.  “I’m not going to give up, Chloe.”

Chloe turned to Lucifer then.  “Can you please escort Dan out?”

“It will be my pleasure, Detective,” the fallen angel said as he took Dan’s arm.  The other man shook him off and scowled.

“Don’t touch me,” he snapped as he walked out the front door.  Lucifer followed him out, before stopping him on the porch.

“By the way, this is for Chloe.” Moving faster than the eye could follow, the tall man punched Dan in the face.  The detective fell to the ground, almost knocked out from the blow.  Lucifer looked down on the human, feeling satisfaction at striking his rival.  That ought to teach him for making Chloe feel bad about herself!  Reaching down, the tall man picked Dan up by his shirt and punched him again.  “And this is for all the bloody mistakes you made that I have to pay for.”

Leaving the man in a heap by the bushes, Lucifer shut the front door and straightened his clothes.  “Right,” he said to himself before knocking on Trixie’s door.  “Come on out, little one.”

Trixie came out in a rush and gave the fallen angel a big hug.  “Have they stopped fighting?” she asked, her eyes squeezed shut.

“Your father has left.”

Immediately brightening, she rushed to her mother, calling “Mommy!” as she ran.  A smile graced Lucifer’s face.  The child’s happiness made him feel good about himself, like he had done something grand... and if that wasn’t an indication that he was getting soft, he didn’t know what was.

He followed the little girl back to the kitchen and found mother and daughter in a caring embrace. The sight warmed the fallen angel’s heart, and he felt blessed to have them in his life.  What a lucky Devil he was!

Chloe looked up then, and beckoned him.  Sauntering over, he looked at the pair with a cocked head and a smile.  “Yes?”

“Come here, you,” she said.  Pulling him close, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.  Trixie looked up from her mother’s waist and grinned.   


“So what are we doing today?” the little girl asked.

“Oh!  Well, I have a surprise for you and your mother,” Lucifer said with twinkling eyes.

Trixie’s eyes grew round and her face lit up with joy.  “What kind of a surprise?”

“Dinner and a movie.”

“Oh, is that all?”  Trixie’s disappointment was palpable.

Lucifer chuckled as Chloe scolded, “Trixie!”

The tall man bent down so that he could look the little girl in the eye.  “You know the new Pixar movie opening today?”

“You mean the one that’s been completely sold out for a month?” Trixie asked, brightening.

“That’s the one.  We’re going to see that.”

“Oh wow!  Did you hear that, Mommy?” Trixie asked, overjoyed.

Chloe smiled.  “Yes, I did.  Why don’t you go get ready?”  As the little girl rushed off, the blonde woman turned to him with a smile.  “Thank you, Lucifer.”

There it was again, that warm, happy feeling in Lucifer’s chest.  He smiled and said, “The pleasure is all mine, Detective.”

“What time does the movie start?” Chloe asked as she got her purse and car keys.

“When we get there.”

That had Chloe pausing to look at him.  “Is this one of those...?”

“Favors?” Lucifer supplied.  “Yes.  The theatre owner owed me a favor,” he said with grin.

A concerned look crossed the detective’s face.  “Lucifer, this isn’t anything illegal or underhanded, is it?  Because you know I’m going to have to arrest you, if it is.”

An interested gleam entered Lucifer’s eyes.  “Would you really?  Because I can think of so many captivating things we can do with those handcuffs....”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “Lucifer....”

“But alas, everything is above board,” he said regretfully.  “Just a favor for a favor.”

Her eyes were full of doubt as she said, “I hope so.”

“Trust me, Detective!”

“What about dinner?” she asked.

“All taken care of.”

Chloe’s eyes narrowed.  Ignoring her suspicious look, Lucifer smiled easily and herded everyone out to her car, once Trixie was ready.  After they all piled in, the fallen angel navigated Chloe to an expensive movie theatre.  Chloe was surprised to see an In-N-Out food truck in the parking lot -- Trixie’s favorite food.  The truck was closed, though, so there were no lines in front of it.

Lucifer hopped out of her car, walked over to the closed window and rapped loudly.  A young fellow inside rolled up the metal slats and said, “Are you Mister Morningstar?  John said to expect you.”

“Yes, I am.  Thank John for me, will you?  And give these nice folks whatever they desire.  Keep the change,” Lucifer said with a grin as he surreptitiously handed the worker a couple of hundred dollar bills.

Trixie jumped up and down with delight, and ordered way too much food.  Chloe pulled out her wallet to pay, but the young worker waved her off.  “It’s all taken care of, Miss.”

Mother and daughter took the bags of food and walked over to the fallen angel, who was leaning against her car with a happy smile on his face.  “Thank you, Lucifer,” Chloe said.  “Are we going to eat in the car?  There’s nowhere to sit --”

“Follow me,” he said and led them to a side door of the theatre.  He knocked on the glass, and an older gentleman popped his head out.

“Mister Morningstar!” he greeted as he ushered them in.

“Hello, Fred.  How’s the missus?”

“Good, good, thanks to you, Mister Morningstar.  We got the treatment she needed and her cancer is in remission.”

“Lovely!  Please give her my best regards.”

“We have the theatre ready for you.  This way.”

As the little group followed the theatre owner, Chloe pulled Lucifer aside.  “What did you do for his wife?”

“Oh, they came to LUX one day asking for money, so I lent them some as a favor,” he said modestly.  

Chloe raised her eyebrows.  “And this is your return favor?”

The fallen angel gave her a smile that melted her heart.  “I think it’s well worth the trade, don’t you?”

The owner showed them into a very large, empty theatre with stadium seating.  “Sit anywhere you like,” he said.  “The theatre is yours.  If you require anything from the concession stand, let me know -- it’s on the house.  Tell me when you’re ready for the movie.”

Trixie went wild, running up and down the rows of seats to find the best possible spot, while Chloe stared at Lucifer openmouthed.  “You -- you would do this for us?”

The tall man looked pleased with himself.  “I thought it was appropriate, and the little spawn has been saying she wanted to see this movie....”  At Chloe’s continued shock, Lucifer suddenly felt a little anxious.  “Perhaps... perhaps this wasn’t a good idea?”

In response to his question, Chloe put the bags of food down on some nearby seats and took his face in her hands.  “You, Mister Morningstar, are amazing.”  She kissed him then, a sweet, gentle kiss that quickly turned passionate.  Wrapping his arms around her, Lucifer reveled in the feel of her lips against his.  After a few moments, he leaned his forehead against hers.  

“I’m so glad you approve,” he whispered.  

“Mommy, Lucifer, let’s eat and watch the movie!” Trixie yelled down at them from a perch on a midlevel couch.  Laughing, the adults picked up the food and worked their way to her.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

After the movie finished, they braved the crush of people in the parking lot and headed toward their car.  Other movies had just let out, so they dodged people and cars as they moved forward.  As the three of them walked, Trixie gave her movie review.  Lucifer was quite surprised at how she picked apart even the littlest details.

The fallen angel was quite pleased with how the night had turned out.  His family was very happy with the dinner and the movie, especially since it was a private screening.  Lucifer had sat between them, with his long arms around their shoulders.  Not even caring about the film, his attention had been completely on Chloe and Trixie’s enrapted expressions as they watched the screen.  A satisfied feeling filled him.  For the first time, he felt like a regular human taking his family out.  It was a wonderful feeling.

As a large group of rowdy revelers headed their way, Chloe instinctively tightened her grip on Lucifer’s arm.  She still couldn’t believe that the fallen angel would make such a thoughtful gesture as to arrange a private screening of a premiere movie just for them.  Despite what anyone said, the Devil  _ was _ sweet, and it made her smile. 

The crowd surrounded them and pushed at them, which surprised Chloe.  Muttering apologies, she tried to get through without pushing back too much.  Lucifer suddenly stiffened beside her, and she stopped, looking up at him with surprise.  His expression was one of surprise -- no, shock -- as he looked down at her.  His mouth worked, but no sound came out except a strange sigh.

“Lucifer...?” she asked, her eyes going wide with fear when he suddenly fell to the ground.  The detective was shocked to see a knife hilt sticking out of his back.  Trixie started screaming as someone with rough hands grabbed Chloe from behind.  There was pain in the back of her head, and then all went dark.

  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Camael's Intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my most excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You are awesome!! :D

 

 

Lucifer fell to the ground, a terrible pain ripping through one side of his back.  Reaching behind, he felt something hard sticking out of him -- a hilt.  There was blood, but not too much, since the knife was still in him.  Trixie was screaming on one side of him, and he glanced up to see the young ruffians pulling at her.  Staggering to his feet, he knocked them away from the little girl.  He turned, his wild eyes searching for the detective.

There -- an unconscious Chloe was getting dragged off by some hoodlum.  No.  Not a hoodlum.   _Camael._

With a curse he started to go after them, but then realized he still had Beatrice clinging to his hand.  There was no way on earth he could leave her alone.  Scooping her up in his arms, he started running toward the Angel of Wrath.  Ignoring the pain in his back, he chased after them as his mind screamed _why, why, why is Camael after Chloe?!_  He had given the Sword of Heaven to his dad -- no one should be targeting his family!  

Camael saw him coming, and threw Chloe over his shoulder.  Time suddenly slowed down as Camael sprouted wings and took off in flight.  Lucifer felt Trixie stiffen in his arms as she slowed down as well.  The fallen angel’s wings tore through his clothes as they unfurled, but he didn’t even notice as he took off in flight.

Lucifer’s wound caused problems; he dipped and swayed more than he would have liked.  The pain pierced through him with every beat of his wings, but he gritted his teeth and kept on.  There was no way he’d be able to catch Camael at this rate, so he dropped low, and followed stealthily.  Hopefully Camael would think his fallen brother couldn’t keep up, and drop his guard.

Sure enough, the angel slowed down, eventually landing at an abandoned warehouse.  Lucifer crash landed on a rooftop some distance away, sliding on his side so that Trixie was protected.  Panting hard, he rested on the roof as Camael’s time lag sped up and Trixie moved in his arms.

“Lucifer!” the girl cried as she bent over the fallen angel.  

He lay still, trying to catch his breath.  Sweat poured off his brow and shudders wracked his frame as he tried to control the terrible pain tearing through him.   _Just a flesh wound,_ he told himself over and over.   _There’s no pain.  It’s just a bloody flesh wound._  At Trixie’s light touch on the hilt stuck in his back, he inhaled sharply through his teeth.  Glancing at her, he saw her eyes widen and her face grow pale with fear.

“Are you okay?” she asked in a wobbly voice.

He tried to smile reassuringly, but it came out more as a grimace.  “No, but I’ll get b-better, child.”

“Should I pull the knife out?”

“No-no-no-no-no,” he gasped.  “Leave it.”

Trixie looked scared and undecided.  “But --”

“It acts as a cork, child.  I’ll be fine as long as you leave it in.”  Struggling to a sitting position, he dug into what was left of his suit jacket and found his phone.  He pressed it into Trixie’s hand.  “I’m going to get your mother.  T-take my phone.  If I’m not back in an hour, call the police.  Get yourself to safety.  Do you understand?”

Trixie nodded once.

“Good girl.  N-now hide.”  Lucifer gave her a little shove.  He staggered to his feet and made his way to the edge of the roof.  With a deep breath, he launched himself into the air.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Water woke Chloe up -- cold water getting dumped on her head.  Sputtering, she opened her eyes to find herself looking into a sink as water from a faucet rushed past.  Someone’s hand on the back of her collar roughly pulled her upright and threw her on the floor.  A quick glance at the surroundings showed her that she was in some abandoned industrial warehouse.  Panic filled her as her eyes searched for Trixie; she prayed her daughter was safe.  She glanced over her shoulder.  Camael stood next to the standalone sink by the wall with a cold, fascinated look in his eyes.

“Hello, Chloe Decker,” the angel said as he walked up to her.  Reaching down, he hauled her to her feet.  He inspected her carefully up and down; Chloe felt his eyes all over her and shuddered.

Trying hard to hide her revulsion, she stood straight and tall.  “What do you want?”

“You.”

The blonde detective felt bile come up in her throat and she swallowed convulsively to keep from vomiting.  “Were you the one who stabbed Lucifer?”

Camael laughed.  “Oh no, I hired some humans to do that so that I could take you.  It was a test, you see.”

Chloe’s brow furrowed.  “A test?”

“To see if he can be injured around you.”  The blonde angel gave a cold smile.  “Which, apparently, he can.”

“But -- but he’s immortal,” said Chloe.

“Not when he’s with you.”  

 _What?!_  Chloe couldn’t believe it.  How could that be true?  A car had run over Lucifer and he had come out without a scratch. Then again... she hadn’t been around for that, had she?  She remembered shooting Lucifer so long ago, and his shock at how he bled.  And now he had been stabbed while she had been nearby....

“Oh my god,” she breathed, horrified.

“I don’t understand it either,” Camael continued, “But there it is.  Once I get him out of the picture, you’ll be mine.”

“I will _never_ be yours,” she snapped automatically as her heart screamed in horror at the thought of this angel wanting her.

The angel circled her slowly, his cold eyes taking in everything about her.  “I find it fascinating that he’s so bonded to you, but I’m not entirely surprised,” he said.  “You’re beautiful and you’re strong, which I find irresistible.  And there’s something about you....  Has he slept with you?”

The detective felt burning anger at the intrusive question.  “It’s none of your business,” she snarled.

Cocking his head, Camael studied her.  “No.... I can see that he hasn’t.  And yet he still wants you.  How interesting, and... odd for a creature of passion such as him.  He’s kissed you, though....”

With the speed of a striking snake, the angel grabbed her, his fingers biting into her arms, and pulled her close.  Chloe instantly fought back, kicking and striking out, but it only caused the angel to laugh.  She found herself trapped by Camael’s angelic strength and unable to break free.  Leaning in, he tried to capture her lips as she struggled desperately.  

 _No, no, no!_ her mind screamed.

_“Camael!”_

Both the angel and the detective looked up at the voice.  With eyes burning fiercely red and a frighteningly demonic face, Lucifer stood in the open doorway of the warehouse.  His large, white wings spread threateningly as hot, white anger coursed through him, pushing the pain away and giving him strength.

Camael smirked at his brother.  “I see you’re still alive.”

“You didn’t finish the bloody job,” Lucifer snapped.

The angel shrugged.  “Well, what do you expect when you send a human to do an angel’s job?”

Without warning, Camael shoved Chloe away from him and turned toward his opponent.  His brown wings fanned wide as he approached.  In a split second, Lucifer took off in flight, barreling into the Angel of Wrath with terrifying speed.  Chloe took a step back as they both sped past, tumbling into the warehouse wall behind her.  

Lucifer was the first to his feet, grabbing the angel and smashing his fist into his brother’s face.  Camael reeled back, but then tackled his fallen brother and wrestled him to the ground.  Pain shot through Lucifer as the knife in his back dug deeper from the impact.  Gritting his teeth, he punched Camael and kicked him away.  

“You can’t beat me, Camael,” he growled at the brown-winged angel.  “Michael was the only one strong enough to expel me from Heaven, and he’s locked up in Hell now.”

Camael pulled himself to his feet, smiling coldly.  “True, but you can die when you’re around the human....  And then she will be _mine_.”  With that, he shot through the open door and flew into the sky.

Lucifer stood staring at the empty doorway for a moment, before the pain took him and he collapsed.  With a cry, Chloe ran up to the tall man to help support him.  He gave her a grateful glance, sweat pouring from his brow.  His skin felt clammy to Chloe, and fear shot through her.

“Are you hurt, Detective?” he asked with worry in his eyes.  “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m all right.”  As she wrapped her arm around him, she felt a wet, sticky substance coat her hand.  A quick glance told her that the knife wound was oozing a lot of blood.  “We have to get you to a hospital.”

He shook his head violently.  “No.  No hospital.  All I need is you.”

“Lucifer --”

“No.”  He stood up shakily and gave a little laugh.  “I don’t feel well.”

“Lucifer --”

“ _No._ ”  A deep breath caused a sharp pain, but he ignored it.  Turning to the detective, he said, “Your spawn is safe on a nearby rooftop.  We need to get her.  I’ll take you.”

“You’re in no condition to move, let alone fly,” she scolded.

Lucifer gritted his teeth and said, “I can do it.”

“I’m not going to let you --”

Chloe never finished her sentence, for the fallen angel swept her up in his arms and took off in flight.  The ride was rough and a little scary; the blonde woman held on tight and cursed Lucifer to hell and back for being so stubborn.  The tall man said nothing -- he just flew on.

In a matter of minutes they had reached the roof where Lucifer had left Trixie.  The landing was not as soft as he had hoped; his legs went out as soon as they touched the hard surface and they ended up sprawled on the roof top.

“Mommy!” cried Trixie as she ran out from behind some mechanical units.  “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, baby.  Are you?” Chloe asked as she pulled herself from the tangle of limbs and feathers.  At her daughter’s nod, she rounded on Lucifer.  “What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?!”

“Flying,” Lucifer said simply as Chloe helped him to a sitting position.  

“Stupid, stubborn man!  Of all the goddamn, idiotic --”  She broke off as she glanced at Trixie’s big eyes.  Biting her lower lip, Chloe struggled to get herself under control.  She shot Lucifer a glance that would have killed a mortal man.  “I ought to punch you.”

With eyes slightly glazed from pain, he gave her one of his boyish smiles.  “Oh, please do, Detective!  I’m always one for a little pain mixed in with pleasure.”

Shaking her head, she snapped, “I can’t believe that you’d take such a chance --”

“Bloody hell, it wasn’t chancy at all,” he muttered before a pained groan escaped him.

“We need to get you help,” she muttered angrily.  “And this conversation isn’t over.”

“Are we h-having our first argument, love?” he managed to say with a grin.  “I hear that make-up sex is amazing....”

Chloe rolled her eyes, then glanced with concern at the knife in his back.  “You have to see a doctor.”

“No.  I told you, all I need is you,” Lucifer said.  “Can you get yourselves home?  I... I don’t think I can carry you both right now.”

“I have your phone -- we can call Uber!” Trixie volunteered.

“Good girl.  I’ll meet you at your house.”  

Before Chloe could say anything, Lucifer took off into the sky again.  “Goddamn it, Lucifer!” she yelled after him.

  
  



	6. Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A really big thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme, who works so hard to make my work shine! Thank you!

 

 

Chloe and Trixie rushed into their house to find Lucifer sprawled face down on their couch with his wings spread out.  He didn’t stir when they approached him; only Chloe’s cool hand on his shoulder roused the fallen angel.

“Oh, hello, Detective,” he whispered as he looked blearily at them.

Worry shone in Chloe’s eyes as she kneeled beside him.  “Lucifer, we have to get you help.”

“I have you,” he said with a weak smile.  “You’re all I need.”  

“You need a doctor.”

“No.”

Chloe wanted to hit him.  Stubborn man!  Heaving a big sigh, she said, “The knife has to come out, you know.”

“I know.”

Trixie hovered close by, looking scared.  Turning to her little girl, Chloe said, “Trixie, baby, I need you to get me the roll of plastic wrap in the kitchen.  Can you do that for me?”

She bobbed her head once and ran off.

“Oooh, I think I’m going to enjoy this,” the injured man whispered.  “What sort of kinky thing are you planning, Detective?”

“Shut up,” she growled.  “If you won’t go to the hospital, then we’ll just have to make do.”

When Trixie came running back with the roll, Chloe helped Lucifer stand.  After carefully removing his shredded shirt and suit jacket, she told Trixie to hold the wrap ready for her.  

“Fold your wings, Lucifer,” the detective said.

Complying, he made them as unnoticeable as possible.

“Are you ready?” she asked him.

He said nothing, only nodded.

With a swift yank, she pulled the knife out of his back.  Lucifer grunted when she did, but was otherwise silent.  Grabbing the roll of plastic wrap, Chloe quickly and tightly bound him up in a makeshift bandage before he lost too much blood.  Trixie ran to get some packing tape, and together the two sealed up the wounded angel’s bandage.

“Well, this is not quite the kinky experience that I was expecting,” Lucifer joked as he fell back down onto the couch.

“Will you be okay, Lucifer?” Trixie asked, her voice full of concern.

“I think so, child,” he replied.

“Trixie, it’s late, you better get to bed,” Chloe told her daughter.  “Will you be okay?  Will you be able to sleep?”

“Uh-huh,” Trixie said.  “I can always bring my sleeping bag and sleep next to Lucifer if I can’t.”

“Mommy’s going to stay with Lucifer tonight, okay, baby?  But if you get scared you can come join us.”

“Okay!”  With that, the little girl ran off.

Lucifer let out a soft laugh.  “I’d like to see us all lying on the couch together -- it will be like a bloody clown car.”

“Shut up, you ass.  I’m still mad at you.”  Chloe’s eyes filled with anger and worry as she kneeled next to him once again.  “How dare you take a chance like that!  Don’t you know how worried I was?  What if something happened to you?”

“Detective, I was perfectly capable --”

“And this stupid refusal to see a doctor -- what if you don’t get better?  What if you die because I didn’t take you to the hospital?”

The fallen angel stared at her, touched at her worry.  “I -- I....”  Whatever he was about to say petered out when Chloe picked up his hand and held it to her cheek.

“Don’t you get it yet?  I can’t bear the thought of a world without you in it, Lucifer.”

His heart almost burst with emotion.  No one had ever given a damn, and yet this beautiful woman actually....  Speechless, he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as a warm feeling spread through his chest.   Ignoring the pain in his back, he shifted to one side of the couch and pulled her to lie next to him.  

“Come here,” he entreated.  “Stay with me, love.  Stay in my arms tonight.”

“But your wound --”

“I know you’ll heal me.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I  _ do _ know.  Just stay.”

“Stubborn man,” she whispered as she shifted, so that they lay like spoons.  Lucifer’s chuckle sounded in her ear as she closed her eyes.  

 

________________________________________

 

Chloe awoke a few hours later, her body jerking from the nightmare.  She took a peek at Lucifer.  She must have turned in the night, for now she faced him, with her hands resting on his bare chest.  In the moonlight with his face relaxed in sleep, he looked young and innocent.  The cold clamminess had left his skin and his breathing seemed better.  Relief shot through her.

Carefully so as not to wake him, Chloe eased out of Lucifer’s embrace and stood up.  The nightmare of Camael was still with her; she could still feel his hands gripping her arms and see him trying to kiss her.  A sick feeling washed over her.  She tiptoed away from Lucifer and climbed the stairs to her bedroom.

A few minutes after Chloe had left, Lucifer woke.  Even in sleep he could sense her absence; the couch felt empty without her.  Opening his eyes, he saw that it was still very dark.  He felt the cushions where she had lain -- they were still warm.  Where had she gone?  Why had she left?  His mind teemed with questions as he levered himself into a sitting position.  

Lucifer ran a hand over his knife wound -- there was no pain.  Chloe must have healed him in his sleep, as he knew she would.  The bloody dressing felt hot -- stifling -- he needed to get it off.  Rising to his feet, he stumbled over to the nearby work desk and looked for a pair of scissors.  As he did so, he realized that he could hear the shower running upstairs.  That was odd.  Why was Chloe taking a shower in the middle of the night?

After finally locating some scissors, he snipped the plastic wrap away and ran his hand down the side of his back.  No pain, no wound.  Damn, Chloe was an excellent healer!  Far better than his brother, Rafe, he thought with a grin.  He wadded up the plastic and tossed it into a nearby waste paper basket.  

The water was still running upstairs.  It just seemed so peculiar to Lucifer that he decided to investigate.  A quick glance at a nearby clock told him it was 3:00 am.  Who took a shower at that hour in the morning when they didn’t have to?

He crept up the stairs, then slipped into her bedroom.  Was she planning on sleeping the rest of the night upstairs?  In which case, why wasn’t she in bed?  Everything seemed so strange....  Silently he made his way to the bathroom door.  It was locked, but that never stopped him.  His conscience did, though.  Should he intrude on her while she bathed?  It seemed like such an intimate thing to do.  Well, he had promised not to pester her about having sex, but he hadn’t said anything about not sharing a shower with her.  He’d leave his trousers on -- that should show her he wasn’t planning on jumping her bones.  With a boyish grin, he opened the door and peeked in.

The bright glare of the bathroom lights blinded him for a moment, and he blinked fiercely to adjust to them.  He could see the blurry image of her naked body through the shower glass -- she seemed to be furiously scrubbing her arms, over and over.  Puzzled, he ambled his way over and opened the door.

She didn’t scream, like he was expecting.  She didn’t even say his name in that scolding manner that he loved so much.  She merely looked up at him with haunted eyes and said, “I can still feel his hands.  They won’t come off.  I can’t make them come off.”

Lucifer gasped as he stared at Chloe’s upper arms -- they were bloody from being scrubbed raw at the bruises that Camael’s fingers had left.  He immediately stepped into the shower and took her into his arms, stopping her movements.  “It’s all right.  I’m here, Chloe.  I’m here.”

“I can still feel him, Lucifer,” she whispered, as her hands tried to start scrubbing again.  

“No, no, no, my dear.  Here,” the fallen angel said as he pushed them both under the running shower head.  “We’ll wash him off.  Just hang onto me, love.  That’s it....”

Chloe’s body shook hard against his; Lucifer held onto her tightly while cursing Camael to hell and back.  He’d kill him.  He’d hunt the bloody bastard down and kill him.

Slowly her body began to lose its rigidity, and she sagged against him.  Her arms crept around his chest and she held him tight.  Lucifer pressed his cheek against her hair.  

He didn’t know how long they stayed like that -- five minutes, an hour? -- but at last she loosened her hold on him and leaned her forehead against his chest.  After moving them out of the spray, Lucifer reached over and turned off the water.

“Better, love?” he asked gently.  He felt her nod.  “Are you all right?”

“I had a nightmare,” she whispered.  “More like a replay of last night -- except Camael wouldn’t let me go.”

The fallen angel felt his heart clench.  “I’m sorry.... If I had gotten there sooner --”

Chloe shook her head.  “No, Lucifer.  It’s okay.  It’s not your fault.  I’ll be okay.”  She looked up at him with a brave smile.  “Thank you.”

Her courageous expression made his heart ache, and he cursed himself for not having rescued her from Camael sooner.  Reaching over, he opened the shower door and pulled a big towel off the towel rack.  With gentle hands, he wrapped Chloe in it, then picked her up, cradling her in his arms.

Right.  Now what was he supposed to do?  Never having had anyone to care for him, Lucifer didn’t know how to care for someone else.  He tried to imagine what Chloe would do for her child, and went with that.  He carried the detective over to the bed and dressed her in her old nightshirt.  Leaving her for a moment, he got some bandages from the bathroom and bound up the wounds on her arms.  Then he proceeded to dry her hair with the towel, which strangely filled him with satisfaction.  Who would have ever thought that drying Chloe’s hair would make him so happy?  Lucifer shook his head at the unusual feelings while the detective sat under his tender ministrations, basking in the gentle care.  Finally, he tucked her into bed.

She caught a hold of his hand as he started to turn away.  “Stay?” she asked.

Lucifer didn’t need to be asked twice.  With a speed that surprised even himself, he shucked off his wet clothes and tossed them into the bathroom with amazing accuracy.  Sliding between the sheets, he snuggled up to her and took her in his arms.

“You do realize I’m naked, Detective?” he whispered with a grin. 

Chloe laughed.  She couldn’t help it.  “Go to sleep, Lucifer.”


	7. Chaos in Heaven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme, who is just amazingly awesome! You're the best!!

 

 

Chloe awoke curled up next to Lucifer.  It was still early, although the room was slowly brightening as the sun came up.  Her bed companion roused when she did, looking down at her with warm, caring eyes.

“Good morning,” he said in a voice rough from sleep.

“Good morning,” Chloe replied with a smile.

“No more nightmares?”

She shook her head.  “No, thanks to you.  You make a nice security blanket.”

“Security blanket?!”  Lucifer threw his head back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling.  “Bloody hell, Detective, can you possibly emasculate me any further?”

Chuckling, she patted his chest and said, “I’m sorry, Lucifer.”

“The Devil is not a bloody security blanket,” he grumbled.  “Oh, what I’ve been reduced to....”

That brought out a full-on laugh from the blonde woman as she sat up.  Lucifer tried to pull her back down into bed, but she evaded his hands.  Walking into the bathroom, she discovered his wet clothes on the floor.  

“Lucifer, you don’t have any clothes to wear,” she said as she picked up the soaked trousers.

The tall man propped himself on his elbows and leered happily at her.  “Well!  I guess I’m going to have to walk around naked, then!”

Chloe gave him the evil eye.  “No, you are not.  Not with Trixie downstairs.  I have some sweatpants -- you can wear those.”

Lucifer was appalled.  “Absolutely not!  Bloody hell, I have a reputation to maintain!  The Devil in sodding sweatpants?!”

“Tough, Mister,” she said as she dug into her closet and tossed him a pair of black sweatpants.

“I’d rather walk around naked,” he muttered to himself.  Still, there was the little one to consider....

With a big sigh, the fallen angel pulled himself out of bed and put on the offending clothing item.  They were too short, so it appeared that he wore capris.  He cringed.  Chloe tossed him a bright pink NSYNC tee shirt which was too small and tight, but oh well.  The thought of hiding in the closet and crying his eyes out over his appearance grew more appealing by the minute.

Later that morning, Trixie had a very good laugh as they sat across from each other, eating breakfast.  

“You look funny!” she said as she giggled.

“Yes, well, this is your mother’s bloody idea of fashion,” he grumbled unhappily.  

Taking pity on Lucifer, Chloe said, “I’ll call Amenadiel and ask him to bring you something to wear....  Although I think you look sweet in my clothes.”

Lucifer dropped his forehead to the edge of the table in a loud thunk, which caused Trixie to laugh even harder.  “Go on, get it all out,” he muttered as he stared at the floor.  “I will never live this bloody day down.  Never.”

Chloe walked behind him and rubbed his back.  “It’s not so bad, is it, Lucifer?”

“He looks like a clown, Mommy!”  Trixie interjected.

“Yes.  Yes, it is,” the fallen angel answered.  “Bloody hell, Detective -- just shoot me.  Shoot me now.”

The blonde woman’s hand fell away at his words.  It reminded her of what Camael had said -- that Lucifer was mortal around her.  Suddenly everything didn’t seem so funny anymore.  

Lucifer picked up on the change in atmosphere, and sat up, his eyes seeking the Detective’s.  Avoiding his gaze, she picked up the dirty dishes and carried them to the sink.  Puzzled at her sudden reticence, the fallen angel said to Trixie, “Little one, why don’t you go watch your Saturday cartoons?  Your mother and I will take care of the dishes.”

“Okay!” Trixie said, and dashed off.

Concern in his eyes, he walked over to Chloe and leaned against the counter as she started loading the dishwasher.  “What’s wrong, love?”

For a long moment Chloe just stared at him, chewing on her lower lip.  Then her eyes narrowed  and a spark of fire appeared in her eyes.  “Why didn’t you tell me you’re mortal around me?”

The fallen angel looked at her, mouth agape.  “How did you --”

“Camael.  Why didn’t you tell me?”

Lucifer’s mouth worked silently for a moment before he said, “I did.  A few times.”

The blonde woman stared at him.  “What?!  When?”

“Once... when you said you were vulnerable around me.  I told you that you made me vulnerable too.  Remember?  And then on the rooftop when Michael had abducted you....  I said it again.”

Fury burned in Chloe.  “Yes, but I thought you meant vulnerable in an emotional sense!  Or vulnerable in making you a target, in Michael’s case.  I didn’t think that I made you mortal!  What the hell, Lucifer!  I can’t be around you!”

Lucifer suddenly straightened, panic in his eyes.  “What?!”

Squeezing her eyes shut, Chloe shook her head.  “I can’t be around you.  You could _die_ with me around!”

“No, no, no, Detective, don’t say that --”

When she opened her eyes, he saw that they were filled with agony.  “I can’t be responsible for you dying.  I couldn’t bear it if you died because of me.”

Lucifer took Chloe in his arms, anxiety suddenly winding its way through him.  “I’m not leaving you,” he said firmly.

Pulling away from him, she cried, “You have to!  I don’t want you to die!”

“I’ll die if I leave!” he snapped.  The couple exchanged long glances before both turning away. Lucifer rubbed his face in frustration.  “Bloody hell, we’re in a fix, aren’t we?”

“We have to separate,” Chloe said.  “We have to.”

“No.”

“Lucifer --”

“ _No._ ”  Taking a deep breath, he took Chloe into his arms and held on for dear life.  “You don’t know how it was, Detective.  That month... when you lost your memories and I was alone.  You don’t know how bloody terrible it was.  I can’t go through that again.  I won’t.”  He buried his face in his hair.  “Please.  Don’t make me go through that again.”

“But you were alive,” Chloe whispered as she leaned against him with her eyes closed.  

Lucifer shook his head.  “Only in the physical sense, love.  I was dead inside.”

“And if anything happens to you, I’ll be dead inside.”  Despair ripping through her, she dropped her head in one hand.  “What are we going to do, Lucifer?”

“Shhh, it will be all right, love.  You can heal me, remember?  I’m far safer with you, than away.”

Worry shone in Chloe’s eyes as she looked up at him.  “You say I can heal you, but I don’t know how --”

“You can, love.  I’m living proof.”  The fallen angel suddenly straightened.  “Besides, Camael is still out there.  He wants you.  There’s no bloody way in hell I’m leaving you with that bastard out there.”

“He will kill you if you’re with me.  I won’t have it,” she said fiercely.  “No.  We have to do what’s right.  We have to separate.”

“And what happens if he comes after you and I’m not here?  I won’t have him touching you again.”  Lucifer rubbed Chloe’s upper arms.  “Right.  Be reasonable, my dear.  You can’t keep me away, especially when you’re in danger.  You know I’ll just follow you.”

“I can make you promise to stay away.”

“I refuse to give you my word.”

Chloe sighed gustily.  “You stubborn, stubborn man,” she muttered angrily.  “Why do you have to be so hard-headed?”

The fallen angel grinned, sensing that he had won the argument.  “I’m the Devil, my dear.  It’s what I’m known for.”

The detective groaned, shaking her head.  “One of these days, Lucifer, I’m going to....”

“Yes?” he asked with an even bigger smile.

One look at his face told Chloe that she shouldn’t even try to argue with him.  “Never mind,” she muttered, as she started loading the dishwasher again.  

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Amenadiel came a couple of hours later, with one of Lucifer’s suits in a bag.  Lucifer couldn’t face his brother in his weird ensemble, so he hid upstairs while Chloe fetched the clothes.  When he had changed and gone downstairs, he was pleased to see Amenadiel sitting at the dining table.

“Hello, bro.  I’m glad you’re still here,” Lucifer said as he took a seat across from the angel.  

“Chloe said you wanted to see me,” his brother responded as he leaned back in his chair.  “What’s going on, Luci?”

“Can you possibly get in touch with anyone upstairs?  I’ve got a sitch I need some clarification on.”

Amenadiel’s eyebrows raised.  “Well, I can try, but I can’t guarantee anything.  Suspension, remember?”

The fallen angel nodded.  “I remember, but I know you got in touch with Rafe once before, to help me.  Can you do it again?”

“Let me see what I can do.”

Amenadiel put up his hand and started praying.  After a short while, he stopped and looked at his brother.  “Now we wait.”

It didn’t take long -- all of ten minutes -- before there was a slowing down of time and the rustle of wings.  The chestnut-haired angel appeared at the entry, looking... frazzled.  Lucifer and Amenadiel both stood, surprised at Raphael’s appearance.  

“Raphael?  Are you okay?” Amenadiel asked.

The other angel shook his head.  “No.  What can I do for you both?  Anyone injured?  Please tell me no.”

“No....”  Lucifer said.

“Oh thank Father,” Raphael muttered before all three took seats at the dining table.  “I can use a break.”

“What’s going on, Brother?” Amenadiel asked.

“Chaos, Brother, chaos.  Be glad you’re down here and not up there.”

Lucifer and Amenadiel exchanged glances.  “What the bloody hell is going on, Rafe?” the fallen angel asked.

“Well, a lot of the angels saw Michael’s true colors when he fought you during the Affair of Honor --”

“Luci and Michael fought in an Affair of Honor?” interrupted Amenadiel.

Raphael nodded.  “Yes.  Michael cheated, and even attacked Zerachiel.  Luckily I was there to heal him, otherwise who knows what might have happened.  Anyway, word has gotten around that Michael is not the saint that Father’s been painting him, and it’s caused massive unrest.  Fights are breaking out all over Heaven.  War seems imminent.”

“Oh Heavenly Father,” breathed Amenadiel.

“Bloody hell,” added Lucifer.

“That’s not all.”  Raphael turned to Lucifer.  “The rebels saw you act with honor, Luci.  They want you to lead them in rebellion.  And Father....  Father wants you to be his general.”

“What?!”  both Amenadiel and Lucifer said together.

“That’s insane,” the fallen angel said.  “Is this another of Dad’s bloody tests?”

“I wish it were.  I’ve been running all over Heaven trying to heal everyone who’s been caught in the fighting.  It’s madness.”  Raphael scrubbed his face with his hand.  “I’m sorry, what is it that you wanted to see me about?”

“Right.  Considering the bloody news, it isn’t that important, but I have to ask about Camael.  Do you know where he is?” asked Lucifer.

“Camael’s gone rogue.  No one’s seen him since the Affair of Honor.”

 _Well, that explains why he went after Chloe despite the deal made with dear old Dad_ , thought Lucifer.  The fallen angel had hoped that his brother knew where the Angel of Wrath was so that he could go after the bastard, but he was out of luck.

“Right.  Thanks for the information.  Do you want to rest here a while?” Lucifer offered.  

“Just for a bit,” the angel replied.  “I’m so tired....”

Time suddenly sped up.  Walking into the dining room, Chloe jumped at the sight of Raphael sitting with his brothers.  She was glad she wasn’t holding anything, for she would have dropped it.  “Rafe!  What a surprise.  Can I get you some coffee?”

“I would love some.  Thank you, Chloe.”

Before Chloe went into the kitchen, Lucifer intercepted her and whispered, “Right.  Remember -- you’re not to fall for that sod.”

With a roll of her eyes, Chloe shook her head and said, “Seriously, Lucifer?”

“I better get back to Maze and let her know what’s going on,” Amenadiel interrupted, standing.  “It was good seeing you, Chloe.”

While Chloe tended to her guest, Lucifer led Amenadiel to the front door.  “I was wondering if you could do me a favor, Amenadiel?  Seeing as how I have this sitch with Camael....”


	8. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You're the best!

 

 

Amenadiel upended a duffel bag on the bar counter at Lucifer’s apartment.  A number of nasty looking weapons fell out -- knives, swords, maces, a morning star, a few axes, and other frighteningly sharp items.  The angel had agreed to meet them that afternoon at Lucifer’s flat after his fallen brother had explained the situation with Camael pursuing Chloe.  The detective and her daughter stared in shock at the tools of destruction.  Lucifer smiled and lifted a war hammer.  

“Lovely!” he said, admiring the sharp point on the head of the weapon.  “I haven’t seen one of these bad boys in many a year!”

Maze sauntered up to the table, smiling viciously.  “Oooh, look at all the goodies!”  She picked up an axe and swung it experimentally.  “The balance is good.”  She threw it, cleaving a hole in the wall.

“Uh... Lucifer, why are we looking at these weapons again?” Chloe asked as she held Trixie protectively in back of her, far away from the weapons.

“Oh!  Didn’t I tell you?  These are Hell-forged weapons,” the fallen angel said proudly.  “I asked Amenadiel to fetch them so that you could protect yourselves, as an extra precaution.  As good as Heaven-forged -- if not better.  My weaponsmith is bloody fine, if I may say so myself.”

“You can kill an angel with one of these,” Amenadiel added helpfully.  

Trixie’s eyes grew round.  “You mean, like a bad angel?”

Lucifer nodded, still grinning like a fool.  “Take your pick of a weapon and Maze will train you.”

Chloe looked appalled.  “I am not having Trixie play around with dangerous weapons that can kill angels,” she sputtered.

The fallen angel’s face grew serious.  “My dear Detective, your human weapons are useless against sodding angels.  At least with these, you’ll have a chance to defend yourself.  The child, as well.”

“Cool!” Trixie cried as she broke free of her mother’s grip and ran to the bar.  The little girl tried to pick up the morning star but found it too heavy, so she opted instead for a little shiv.

“Oh god,” Chloe groaned.  

Lucifer shot her a dirty look.  “Please, Detective!  Not here!”

Maze walked up to the detective, and took her aside.  “Look, Lucifer told me you know he’s mortal around you,” she said quietly.  “My job is to protect him, but the fact is that you’re around him more than I am.  You can protect him with these weapons.  You should take them.”

She had a point.  “Thank you, Mazikeen,” Chloe said.  Walking over to her excitable daughter, the detective kneeled so that she could look at Trixie in the eye.  “Trixie, baby, you have to respect these weapons.  They are not toys.  They can easily kill someone, okay?  You can’t use it at school or show your friends, or anything like that.  I don’t want you or your friends to end up as a statistic.  Do you understand?  They are only to be used in an emergency against angels, okay?”

The little girl nodded solemnly.  “Okay, Mommy.”

Maze joined them.  “I’ll make sure she knows how to handle them.”

“Thank you, Mazikeen.  I appreciate it.”

Lucifer grabbed Chloe’s hand and dragged her over to the counter, his eyes full of mischief.  “Aren’t they splendid?  Which one do you like, love?”

He was like a kid in a candy store, showing off to his friends, which made Chloe chuckle.  “I think I better take something inconspicuous.”

“Inconspicuous...?”  Lucifer scanned the bar, deep in thought.  “Ah!” he exclaimed as he picked up a dirk.  “How about this?”

Taking the dirk from him, she inspected the the knife.  It was beautiful weapon, with a jewel-encrusted hilt and a wickedly sharp blade.  It was probably worth tens of thousands of dollars for the precious stones alone.  She shoved it back at him.  “Lucifer, I’ll get mugged if I carry this.”

“Oh.”  His face fell.  “Well, I’m sure we can find something else.”

“Don’t you have any... I don’t know... bullets?”

Now the fallen angel looked really disappointed.  “Well, yes, I suppose.  But what’s the fun in that?”

“Here,” Amenadiel said as he reached into the duffle bag’s side pocket and pulled out a couple of boxes of ammunition.  “Hell-forged bullets.  I figured you might want them.  I just hope they’re the right caliber.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, Chloe took the boxes.  She really did not want to use those vicious medieval weapons.  Knifing, impaling, slashing, or bludgeoning someone was just not her style.

“You should still take a bloody knife,” Lucifer insisted, finding another shiv in the pile.  “You may run out of bullets, which is unacceptable.  This one is small enough not to draw attention.”

Realizing that she wasn’t going to get out of the room without some sharp weapon, she took the little knife and shoved it into her boot.  “There, happy?” she growled.

“I would be happier if you took a bloody axe,” Lucifer muttered.  

“I’d get arrested carrying an axe!” she snapped at him.

“I agree with Lucifer -- you can never have enough weapons,” Maze interjected.  “And they’re great to use in the bedroom, too.”

Chloe’s mouth dropped open, horrified.  “What?!”  Shaking her head violently, she said, “No.  No, no, no.  You know what?  I don’t want to know.  I do  _ not _ want to know what you and Amenadiel do in the bedroom.”

“You should try it sometime,” the demon said, smirking.  “Ask me when you’re ready to go there.”

“I will  _ never _ go there.”

Watching and listening with interest, Lucifer said, “Thank you, Maze.  We’ll take a rain check.”  He grinned at Chloe, who shot him a dirty look.

“Speak for yourself, you ass,” she muttered.

The fallen angel chuckled before growing serious.  “Right.  Maze, can you start training the little one?  We need to figure out a plan of attack for Camael.”

Frowning, the demon said, “I think I should be in on the planning.  I vowed to protect you, after all.”

“Mm,” Lucifer agreed.  “This is true.  Detective, could you --”

“He’s after me,” Chloe said.  “You’re not leaving me out of this.”

A frustrated sigh escaped the fallen angel.  “Right.  Amenadiel...?”

“I want to help.”

“Well, what should we do about the little one?  Do you want her in on the planning too?” Lucifer asked bitingly.  “In fact, why don’t we just invite Camael to bloody come over and make himself at home?”

“What planning?” Trixie asked, running up.

“Hey, monkey, we have to talk about some grownup things.  Can you go into the spare bedroom and watch some television or something?” Chloe asked, kneeling in front of her daughter.

The little girl frowned.  “I want to listen in.”

Lucifer approached Trixie and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.  “There’s some cash in it for you if you listen to your mother.”

“Lucifer!” Chloe scolded as Trixie snatched the money and said, “Bye!”

They both watched the little girl run off before the detective gave the fallen angel a killing glance.  “We are going to have a long talk really soon.”

“Right.  But not now, yes?  We have to deal with good old Cam first.”

Leading Chloe back to the living room, Lucifer beckoned them all to take seats around the coffee table.

“So here’s what we know,” Lucifer began.  “Cam has gone rogue, and wants the detective.  He knows I’m mortal around her.  I want to hunt the bastard down but no one knows where he is.”  

“I say we ambush him,” Maze said.  “Then rip out his entrails.”

“Sounds reasonable,” the dark-haired man agreed, which earned him an eye-roll from the detective.

“Wait, Brother.  How are you going to get him out in the open?” Amenadiel asked.

There was a long pause before Chloe said, “Use me as bait.”

“No,” Lucifer immediately objected.  “Absolutely not.”

“It makes sense,” the blonde woman said.  “He’s after me -- I can draw him out.”

“There is no way in hell I am going to do that.”

“Brother, she has a point....”

Lucifer rounded on his brother.  “No.  I’m not putting the detective’s life in danger.”

“This is my choice, not yours,” Chloe interrupted.  “And I say we do it.”

A horrible feeling began to wash through Lucifer -- that of things spiralling out of control.  “No, love --”

“I can stick by her,” Amenadiel offered.

“No --”

“He’d recognize you in a second,” Maze told her boyfriend.  

“If anyone’s going to be by the detective’s side, it will be me,” Lucifer said.

“Absolutely not,” Chloe snapped.

The demon heaved a sigh.  “Look, I’ll stay with Decker, if it means keeping you safe,” she told her boss.  “He won’t recognize me until it’s too late.”

Chloe nodded and turned back to Lucifer.  “There.  It’s settled.”

“I refuse to leave your side,” Lucifer snapped.

“Totally unwise, Brother,” Amenadiel interjected.  “He’s trying to kill you.  Both of you staying together will give him exactly what he wants.  If you’re separated, he’ll have to choose his target between the two of you.”

Feeling overwhelmed with helplessness, the fallen angel stood up suddenly and began to pace.  “Bloody hell, I am not leaving the detective vulnerable to that rat bastard!”

“Lucifer,” Chloe said gently as she went by his side.  “I will be okay.  Mazikeen will be with me.  You and Amenadiel can catch Camael when he shows up.”

Tilting her chin up, he looked deep into her eyes.  “I can’t have anything happening to you, my dear.  I couldn’t bear it.”

The blonde woman gave Lucifer a reassuring smile.  “I’m a cop.  I’ll be fine.”  She gave him a kiss that quickly blossomed into passion between the two of them.

Maze looked on, with disgust on her face.  “Ugh, do you think we’re going to end up as sappy as that?” she asked her boyfriend.

“Heavenly Father, I hope so,” he murmured with envy.

“What?!”

“Huh?  I mean... uh... I really hope -- no.”  Amenadiel winced as his demon lover gave him a suspicious glance.

After Lucifer and Chloe broke the kiss, they returned to sit with Amenadiel and Maze.  The fallen angel raked a frustrated hand through his hair.

“Very well, now how do we get Camael to come to us?” he asked.

“I should be out in the open.  Mazikeen and I can go window shopping, or get coffee or something,” Chloe suggested.  “If I’m visible and alone, he’s sure to come out.  You both can follow at a distance and catch him when he appears.”

“Great.  Window shopping,” spat Maze, as if the words were foul.

“I bloody well hate this,” Lucifer muttered.

“It’s a good plan,” Amenadiel said.  “Let’s do this tomorrow -- see if we can’t get the fish to bite.  What about Trixie?”

“I’ll have my mom take care of her.”

“Okay, we’re decided, then,” Amenadiel said.

Just as they were about to adjourn, all three otherworldly beings saw time slow down.

“Bloody hell, who is it now?” Lucifer muttered as he stood and went to the balcony.  Gabriel stood there, nervously looking left and right.  The red-haired angel saw Amenadiel, Maze and a frozen Chloe in the living room, then turned his eyes to his fallen brother.

“Father asks that I speak with you alone,” he said.

The dark-haired man rolled his eyes.  “Really, Gabe?  Come on, just spit out your bloody news and be done with it.”

Swallowing convulsively, Gabriel said, “Father requests your presence back home.”

The statement was met with a loud round of sardonic laughter from Lucifer.  “Are you serious, Gabe?” he asked.  “He can’t possibly expect me to go back upstairs after what he did to me the last time.”

The angel cocked his head as he communicated with his father.  “He says that this time will be different.  He wants you to command his armies against the rebels.”

“Be the good son and command his armies?”  Lucifer laughed again -- a harsh, discordant sound.  

“He says it’s a great honor.”

“Another great honor?  Like being his bloody left hand was an honor?”  With eyes glinting with fire, the dark-haired man suddenly struck out like a cobra and pulled Gabriel to him by his robes.  “Tell Dad, ‘Screw you,’” he snarled.  “I’ve had enough of his jobs that are considered a ‘great honor.’  There is no way in hell I’m ever going back up there again, and certainly not to work for that manipulative bastard.”

The angel’s eyes shut briefly before opening again.  “He says you will regret it.”

“Remind the bloody bastard that I gave him back the damned sword -- tell him to honor his side of the deal and leave me and my family alone.”  With a shove, Lucifer cast the angel away from him.  Gabriel landed in a heap on the balcony, before taking off in flight.

“Are you sure that was wise, Brother?” Amenadiel asked as time suddenly sped up again.

Lucifer shot his brother a dark glance.  “I’ve had enough of Dad’s manipulations to last an eternity.  I’m done with him.”  Taking a deep breath, he faced his friends with a forced smile.  “Now, why don’t we try to enjoy the rest of the bloody day?”


	9. To Catch an Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! Thanks so much for catching all the errors in this chapter! You're the best!

 

 

The next day, they all set out in separate cars to Old Town Pasadena, which had enough outdoor shops to keep them busy for a long time.  Chloe knew she would be highly visible walking up and down Colorado Boulevard -- hopefully Camael would come around and notice.  Not liking the detective out in the open at all, Lucifer swore to stick close to her despite what Amenadiel said.

As Chloe and Maze went window shopping, Lucifer and Amenadiel took separate sides of the street, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible.  It was hard for Lucifer not to stick out like a sore thumb; even though he wore a chambray work shirt, jeans and a baseball cap, his very carriage screamed, “I am the Devil.”

“Can’t you slouch or something?” Amenadiel had asked him before they split up.  

Lucifer just blinked and said, “Bloody hell, I  _ am _ slouching, bro....”

The morning passed into the afternoon hours without incident, with Lucifer leaning up against a wall at Crate and Barrel and watching passersby at the bizarre “everyone crosses at the same time” crosswalk.  He had hoped to catch a glimpse of Camael, but so far no luck.  Sighing, he wondered how Amenadiel was doing.  How he wished he was window shopping with Chloe instead of loitering on the street!  She and Maze were directly across the street from him, looking at the jewelry at the Tiffany and Co. store.  He would have loved to deck his detective out in an array of gemstones....

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Directly above Lucifer on the roof of the shop stood Camael, also watching Chloe and her companion.  He knew it was impossible that Lucifer would leave his human woman alone, so he scanned the area for him.  Finally a glance down revealed the tall man leaning against the corner column.  Ahhh, there he was.  Camael smirked.  

With a flick of his wrist, he commanded three of the cars to run through the stop light and hit the fallen angel.  There were screams and a screech of tires.  No one heard his laugh over the resulting crash.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer looked up just as the first car ran the red light.  Screaming, the pedestrians in the crosswalk parted like the Red Sea as the vehicle roared through, heading straight for the fallen angel.  With a curse the tall man tried to dodge the car, but it seemed to follow him.  There was only one route left open, if he didn’t want to be squashed like a bug -- he ran toward the car and leaped, his foot making contact with the bumper as he scrambled up the hood.  He kept on running, going over the top of the car and ending up at the trunk when the car slammed into the side of the building.  The jarring impact threw him off his feet, and he slid down onto the pavement, only to see another car barrelling his way.  With lightning speed, he scrambled up the first car once again, this time moving forward and through the shattered glass of the shop window.  He just managed to leap into the Crate and Barrel showroom and into safety when the second and third car slammed into the first, propelling it forward.  Lucifer rolled out of its path, his heart in his mouth at how close he had been to getting killed.  He lay there for a moment, trying to catch his breath, before his brain started screaming for Chloe.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Chloe, Maze and Amenadiel all turned at the sound of screaming people and screeching tires.  Amenadiel immediately started racing toward the accident from down the street.  Maze and Chloe were frozen for a moment, unable to move as they stared at the horror of three cars racing toward Lucifer.

As the cars crashed into the corner of the building, the two women started racing toward the accident.  The demon heard Chloe call the fallen angel’s name before time suddenly started to slow down.  Looking up, she saw Camael, wings outstretched, racing toward them.  She pulled out her knife and backed up protectively against a frozen Chloe.  The Angel of Wrath barrelled into both of them, knocking the wind out of Maze and throwing the blonde woman a fair distance to the pavement.

Before Maze could pull herself up, Camael was on her, punching her across the face several times.  Amenadiel tackled him from the side, knocking him away from the demon.  Faster than the eye could follow, Camael whipped out a Heaven-forged knife and slashed at the angel, raking him across the chest.  As Amenadiel fell back, Lucifer flew out of the wrecked store at breakneck speed, hammering into the blonde angel’s back.  While Camael was down, the fallen angel grabbed him from behind and soared down the street.

“Stay with Chloe!” Amenadiel barked before launching into the sky after the pair.

Time suddenly sped up as Maze helped Chloe to her feet. 

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer flew as fast as he could down the time-frozen Colorado Boulevard, hoping to get far enough away from Chloe so that he could deal with Camael on an even, immortal playing field.  His brother struggled against him, trying to strike at him with his knife, but the fallen angel dipped and swerved to keep him off-balance.  

Spying a tall office building coming up fast, Lucifer slammed both of them into the side, hoping to stun his brother.  They crashed through the masonry wall into an office space, and both went careening into desks and bookshelves.  Shaking his head to clear it, Lucifer pulled himself to his feet, only to see Camael also rising from the floor.  Anger burned in the fallen angel, practically setting him on fire as his eyes glowed red with rage.  Striding over to the blonde angel, Lucifer kicked the knife away and pulled Camael to his feet.

“You dare to touch my woman?!” he snarled as he held his brother’s face close to his.  

Camael only smiled with his cold eyes and said, “And I would have had her, if you hadn’t had help.”

“Well isn’t that too bloody bad for you,” Lucifer snapped and punched his brother in the face.  Camael went flying across the room.  Rising to his feet, the angel threw himself at the Devil, tackling him and getting in a few quick punches before Lucifer kicked him away.  Camael spotted the knife and scrambled for it, but his fallen brother was there first, knocking it away before kicking him in the head.  Stunned, the angel could do nothing as Lucifer grabbed him by his tunic and began punching him.

Camael tried to protect himself, but he was no match for his brother’s brute force.  Without mercy, the fallen angel began pummeling the Angel of Wrath with all of his strength.  Even after Camael had stopped resisting, Lucifer still continued to beat him.  It was Amenadiel who brought a halt to things.

“Brother, stop!” he said as he flew in and grabbed Lucifer’s arm.  

There was no hint of recognition in the fallen angel’s eyes as he looked up at Amenadiel, only unmitigated rage.  

“You have to stop -- you’re killing him!”

“Then I’ll kill him,” Lucifer growled as he transferred his gaze back to Camael and lifted his fist to strike again.  Struggling to hold back his fallen brother’s fist, Amenadiel fought against Lucifer’s immense strength.  

“Do you think Chloe would want this?”

That made Lucifer pause.  

“Do you?” pushed Amenadiel.

For a moment it seemed like the dark-haired man would strike the object of his rage again, but then he suddenly sagged, all the strength going out of him.  Squeezing his eyes shut, he said, “Bloody hell -- damn you, Amenadiel.”

“I’ll lock him up in Hell, Luci.  He won’t get away,” reassured Amenadiel.  “Why don’t you go back and see how Chloe and Maze are?”

Lucifer rubbed his face, rattled by the loss of control.  A quick glance at his hands showed that they were shaking.  Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet and nodded.  “Thank you, Amenadiel,” he said, before taking flight.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Following the excitement of the day, Chloe was relieved just to sit at home and relax with Lucifer and Trixie.  After she had brought her daughter home from her mother’s house, the girl had thrown herself at the fallen angel -- almost as if she could sense how badly he needed a hug.  Lucifer had swung her up in his arms and given her a big hug back -- practically unheard of for him.  

He didn’t seem to want to talk about what had happened, but he looked tired.  Chloe tried to give comfort, hugging him and holding his hand; he smiled at her, but he seemed preoccupied.

“Are you okay?” she finally asked him as they sat and watched television that evening.  Trixie had fallen asleep next to him on the couch, giving them the opportunity to talk.

“I... I’m not sure,” Lucifer said after a long pause.  “I almost killed Cam.”  He glanced at her, his eyes reflecting his turmoil.  “I wanted to.  Bloody hell, I really wanted to.”

“But you didn’t,” Chloe said.

“I could have.  If it hadn’t been for Amenadiel....”

“But you didn’t,” she repeated.  “You’re a good man, Lucifer Morningstar.  Always remember that.”

The tension left him then, and he leaned against her, seeking her warmth.  Wrapping her arms around him, she drew him to her and kissed him gently on the temple.  “I love you, Lucifer.  I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if you weren’t a good man.  I am so lucky to have you.”

“I’m the lucky one,” he whispered back.

Warmth filled Chloe as she thought of her fallen angel.  She was so fortunate to have him in her life.  He was kind, sweet, gentle, passionate, and always considerate.  He took the time to listen, although he didn’t always do as she asked.  Well, Lucifer hardly ever did as she asked, but at least he listened, she thought with a smile.  He never took her for granted, either.  That had been the one thing in her relationship with Dan that had driven her up the wall.  Dan always took her for granted, assuming she’d always be there.

Lucifer had so many wonderful qualities that she appreciated: supporting her, always being there, and never lying.  Her fallen angel was so protective of her and Trixie -- another bonus.   And he made her laugh.  What more could she ask for in a man?

Chloe thought about the vow he had made, to court her until she was ready.  She knew how hard it had been for him to make such a vow, when he was ruled by his passions.  Well, did she really need to be courted?  It seemed to her that everything he did was romantic, whether he realized it or not.  She didn’t need flowers or big, grand gestures.  All she wanted was him.  

Although she did want their first time to be special, she realized that after all they had been through, she just didn’t want to wait anymore.  It would be memorable -- she’d make it so.  She just hoped that when they did make love, she would not disappoint him.  After all, he’d had many, many women....  

Chloe turned to look at Lucifer, to find him gazing at her with desire in his eyes.  Smiling, she reached up and caressed his stubble-lined cheek.  An answering smile lit his features; they shared an earth-shattering, passionate kiss before he suddenly stood up.  The action surprised her and she jumped a bit.

“Right, I best be on my way,” he said in a business-like manner as he reached for his jacket laying on the back of the couch.

“So soon?” she asked, a little disconcerted as she stood up as well.

Leaning over, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek that was totally unsatisfying.  “Yes,” he said softly.  Taking her hands in his, he kissed them, then looked deep into her eyes.  “I... I have to go.  I’m on the verge of breaking my word.”

“Your word?” she asked, a little confused.

“Not to pester you about having sex, my dear, and as you know, my word is my bond.”

He was out the door quicker than she could blink.  Chasing after him, she called, “Lucifer!” but he was already starting his car.  Before her brain could even process that he was leaving, he had pulled out and left.  

Frustration ran rampant through Chloe.  How very much like Lucifer to run off just when she wanted him to stay!  Determination glinted in her eyes as she pulled out her phone and dialed her mother.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

As soon as he reached his flat, Lucifer went straight to the bar and poured himself a large glass of Scotch.  This abstinence was killing him!  It was well worth it, though.  He didn’t want to push Chloe into doing anything that made her uncomfortable... and she did say they would have sex eventually, so he took solace in that.

Sighing, he threw himself into his armchair and thought about the events of the day.  He was glad that Camael was out of the picture and residing in a cell in Hell.  Now if only the other angels and Dad would finally leave him alone!  Was it so wrong to want a life and a family?  To just live here on Earth with Chloe and her child?

After downing his drink, he set the glass on the coffee table, then leaned back and closed his eyes.  He felt tired, but he figured it was from the confrontation with his brother.  Or maybe it was that he was tired of all the angelic interference in his life.  At any rate, he let himself doze off for a little while.

He dreamed of Chloe.  

It was a good dream, although he couldn’t remember much of it.  As Lucifer slowly returned to the real world, he felt her soft hand smooth the hair from his forehead.  It felt so real that he didn’t want to wake up.  A soft, gentle kiss on his lips made him fight to stay asleep.  Oh, if he could stay in this dream forever!

But he knew he’d have to wake up.  Regretfully, he opened his eyes... to find her leaning over him with a smile on her face.  

“I’m dreaming,” he whispered.

She only chuckled as she kissed him again.  Reaching up, he pulled her into his lap and drew her to him as he deepened the contact.  As always whenever she touched him, Lucifer was overcome by a powerful sexual haze and his mind went completely blank... but eventually he found enough sense to pull back.

“What -- what are you doing here...?”

“I got my mom to take care of Trixie until tomorrow morning,” she whispered.  Lucifer blinked.  What was she saying?  Did she mean....?  He couldn’t think; her hand stroking his chest was doing odd things to his thought processes.

“I... I thought you wanted the first time to be special....?” he managed to say.

She smiled.  “It will be.  I don’t want to wait anymore.”

He had to give her one last chance to back out before he completely gave in.  “But... courting?  Romance?”

Shaking her head, Chloe said, “You’ve given me that.  You’re one of the most romantic men I’ve ever met, whether you realize it or not.  I don’t need grand gestures.  You are the only thing I need.”

Lucifer felt so humbled by her words that he couldn’t even speak.  Cradling her close in his arms, he carried her to bed.

  
  
  



	10. The Warning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-big THANK YOU to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme, for all your hard work! You make my work shine!!
> 
> Disclaimer: "You Raise Me Up" belongs to Secret Garden [Rolf Løvland (music) and Brendan Graham (lyrics)]. I do not own the song and make no money off of it. I am only using it here for... uh... reference for my writing practice.

 

 

Lying in bed with the detective in his arms, Lucifer stared up at the ceiling and mulled over the events of the night.

Sex with -- no, making love to -- Chloe had been... unbelievable.  He couldn’t even find the words to describe it.  Although he regretted that they hadn’t burned the entire world down with their positively incendiary sex, it sure felt like they had come damn bloody close.  The only other thing that could compare with the rapture he felt was when he was a young angel, lighting the stars... and that came a distant second.  Sex had never felt so... so... profound.  Making love to her was like being back in the wilderness of Heaven, with only intense beauty and serenity all around.

It was unbelievable to him that Detective Douche would get bored with her.  How in the bloody hell could one get bored with absolute perfection?  It boggled Lucifer’s mind, but he was glad that Detective Douche was so bloody stupid that he couldn’t see a diamond when he had it right in the palm of his hand.  

Chloe stirred against him but continued to sleep; Lucifer thought about waking her with a little morning sex, but changed his mind.  They had made love several times during the night, and he was sure she was exhausted.  And that was odd -- that he was thinking of her needs instead of his own.  Yet it made him feel... happy.  Yes, that was it.  He was happy.  Fiercely happy.  

His joy couldn’t be contained -- it needed an outlet.  Easing the detective out of his arms, he slipped out of bed, slung on his robe, and made his way to the piano.  

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Chloe awoke to the soft, gentle strains of music in the air -- a slow piece, which was unusual for Lucifer to play.  It fit her mood perfectly.  She lay in bed for a moment, reveling in the memories of the previous night.  There was nothing to compare to the Devil’s lovemaking.  Nothing.  Lucifer had been gentle yet fierce, passionate, and loving.  That was the most touching thing -- how very loving he had been.  Considerate.  Always thinking about her needs first -- not like....

Well, no reason to think of Dan anymore.  He was out of her life for good.  Lucifer was the only man for her now.  Remembering the words her lover had whispered in her ear as he caressed her body made her blush.  No wonder women fell all over him!  And then the words he shouted as he took her the first time....  Chloe grinned from ear to ear.  How she loved him!

Pulling herself out of bed, she spotted his silk shirt and put it on.  It was too big for her, but it made the perfect nightshirt.  About to call out to Lucifer, she paused as he started to sing, and instead listened to his beautiful voice.

_ “When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary _

_ “When troubles come and my heart burdened be _

_ “Then I am still and wait here in the silence _

_ “Until you come and sit a while with me....” _

She was struck by the beauty of the song.  It seemed that he was singing just to her, which filled her heart with warmth as she silently made her way to the man on the piano.

_ “You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains _

_ “You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas _

_ “I am strong when I am on your shoulders _

_ “You raise me up to more than I can be....” _

Chloe reached out to touch his shoulder; Lucifer jumped and broke off immediately.  The glance he gave her was a little sheepish, as was his slight smile.

“Oh!  Hello, love,” he said as he took his hands from the keys of the instrument.  Turning on the bench, he looked her over.  “My, my... you look lovely, my dear.  I do believe my shirt looks better on you than it does on me.”

“That was beautiful,” she said as she took a seat beside him.  

Flustered, Lucifer gave a little laugh.  “It’s true, you know.  You do raise me up -- especially from Hell.”  As Chloe took his arm, he grew more serious.  “And you do make me more than I can be, my dear Detective.  I am one very, very lucky Devil.”

“And I am very lucky to have the Devil as a lover,” she replied, beaming up at him.  

Lucifer couldn’t resist; he leaned over and gave her a passionate kiss.  He loved Chloe so much, he just wished he could tell her... but he didn’t know how.  She had made his life so full and beautiful....  Made him into a better man.  And she had given up so much for him.... How could anything he did compare to everything she had given him?  He sighed, and figured he’d try.

Wrapping his arms around her, he leaned his cheek against her hair, and said, “I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me, love.  I can’t even imagine life without you and your little one.  I...  I....”  He broke off.  

Chloe raised her eyebrows.  “You love me?”

Pulling back, he stared at her with surprise.  “You... you know?”

“Of course I know, silly,” she chided.  “You shouted it loud enough for the whole world to hear last night.”

Lucifer felt a strange heat start to infuse his face.  “I... I did?  I don’t remember.”

Leaning forward, Chloe studied his face with a grin.  “Are you blushing, Lucifer?”

The strange heat in his face grew worse.  “Of course not,” he blustered.  “The Devil doesn’t blush.”

Chuckling, Chloe caressed his stubble-lined cheeks.  “It’s okay, Lucifer.  I love you too.”  She leaned and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.  If anything, the redness in his cheeks got worse, which she thought was sweet.  

Lucifer cleared his throat, and tried to regain his sense of balance.  Taking a deep breath, he looked deep into Chloe’s eyes and said, “You fill me with such joy....  You are everything to me.  I would be lost without you.”

A brilliant smile lit her face and her eyes grew bright from unshed tears.  “And I, you,” she said.

With that, Lucifer kissed her with all the desire and love he had inside of him.  He wasn’t sure how he managed it with his brain being so fogged from passion, but somehow he rose from the piano, lifted Chloe in his arms, and carried her back to bed.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

It was much later as they shared an omelette in the kitchen together that they received a visitor.  There was the rustle of wings coming from the balcony; Lucifer rolled his eyes.

“Bloody hell,” he growled as he tightened the sash on his robe.  “I really must do something about blocking that balcony from angels.”

Chloe laughed as she made herself as presentable as possible in Lucifer’s silk shirt.  “Let’s see who it is, shall we?”

They walked to the living room, to see Raphael standing there with a face as white as a sheet.

“Brother, it’s not true, is it?” he asked in a tight voice.  “Tell me it’s not true.”

Lucifer exchanged glances with the woman beside him, then walked up to the angel.  His brow furrowed as he asked, “What’s not true?  What’s going on, Rafe?”

“Father said...  Father made the announcement just an hour ago.  I came as soon as I could,” he replied.  “He said -- He said --”

“Rafe, please sit down, you look like you’re going to pass out,” Chloe said as she came forward and guided him to the couch.

The angel sat down with Chloe beside him and Lucifer taking a seat in the armchair across from him.  Raphael’s hands were shaking.  The fallen angel had never seen his brother so rattled.

“Now then, Rafe, why don’t you tell us what’s going on?” Lucifer asked as he leaned forward.

“It’s Father.  He made the announcement.  He said that Chloe --” Raphael shot a glance at the woman beside him, “Chloe is an Old God.  Tell me it’s not true, Chloe.  Please tell me you’re not an Old God.”

Chloe sat there, stunned.  “Well... I’m not sure....  I mean I was told --”

“Why does it matter, Rafe?” Lucifer cut in.

“You don’t know because you had already Fallen, but a long time ago, Father put out an edict that all Old Gods should be driven from Earth.  Well, he announced today that Chloe’s an Old God that survived the eradication, and that you’re completely bewitched by her.  He said she’s an evil Old God that has you under some sort of thrall --”

Lucifer could feel his anger beginning to build at the outrageous statement.  “Evil?  Bewitched?!  That’s ridiculous --”

Raphael shook his head.  “It sounds ridiculous to me too, but everyone did see her strike Father.  No one has ever had the courage to do that.  We all know there’s something special about her.

“Father’s proclaimed that whoever has Chloe will control you, Luci.  And you do know that it’s war up there, don’t you?  You’re the strongest angel in Heaven now that Michael is locked up in Hell.  Father wants you on his side.  The rebels want you on their side.  Don’t you see?  Whosever side you end up on will win, Brother.  Now that Father has made that announcement -- well, they’re coming for her.  For you.  Both sides.”

“Shite,” Lucifer snapped, his eyes burning red.  “You can’t be serious.”

Raphael shook his head.  “I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t serious.  Just being an Old God puts a target on her back -- but one that has cast a spell over you?  It’s much, much worse.  They know you’ll do anything for her.  I came to warn you.”

The fallen angel went into a flying rage, his whole being practically on fire.  “That bloody, manipulative bastard!” he roared.  “I told him to leave us alone!  And how dare he involve the detective in this when I gave him back that bloody sword!”

“It’s war, Brother.  It’s been declared.  All bets are off.”

“Bloody hell!  I’ll kill that bastard!”

“Lucifer,” Chloe said in a warning voice.  “Don’t do anything rash.  Remember this is your father, the master strategist.  He might be planning on you going up there and stirring up trouble.”

Lucifer got out of the armchair and began pacing furiously, spouting such harsh epithets that both Raphael and Chloe were shocked into silence.  Finally the fallen angel turned to the detective.  Taking a deep, calming breath, he said, “Fine.  Fine, love, I won’t do anything.”  

He rounded on Raphael.  “Right.  You tell those sodding angels up there that if they touch even one hair on Chloe’s head, or that of her child, I will find a way to pry open the Hellmouth and rain all the demons of Hell down upon their heads.  If they want a bloody war, I’ll give them one.”

Raphael nodded, looking even more pale than before.  “Understood, Brother.”  As he rose to leave, Lucifer’s voice stopped him.

“And Rafe?”

The angel glanced at his brother.  “Yes?”

“Thanks for the warning.”

Raphael nodded once.  “Good luck to you both.  Take care and stay safe.”  With that, he flew off.

Throwing himself down in the armchair, Lucifer cursed with frustration and raked his hand through his hair.  “What the bloody hell....  Just when I thought things were getting better....”

Sighing, Chloe walked over and took his hand in hers.  “We’ll get through this, Lucifer.  Just as we’ve gotten through everything else, we’ll get through this too.”  Tugging on his hand until he stood, she stepped into his arms and rested her cheek against him.  “As long as we have each other, we will be all right.”

“I hope so, love,” Lucifer whispered against her hair as he held her tight.  “I truly hope so.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super huge THANK YOU!!! to all of you wonderful readers out there, who followed along with this Lucifer and Chloe! I really appreciate your time reading and all of your wonderful comments. I know this installment didn't have as much angst, but I wanted to give you all a break before getting back into it. I hope you all will join me for Installment 6! Thank you, thank you, thank you again for reading! You are all awesome and I am YOUR biggest fan!! 
> 
> For anyone interested in hearing the song that Lucifer was singing, here is the link:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t130WInb-cQ  
> Please listen to the Secret Garden version... It's really beautiful, and far superior to the Josh Groban cover, in my opinion. It *is* their song, after all. :-)


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